The European Space Agency (ESA) and its partners have confirmed the successful launch of Sentinel-4, an air quality monitoring instrument developed by Airbus. The instrument is hosted on the third generation Meteosat (MTG-S1) weather satellite. This development marks a significant advancement in Europe’s Earth observation capabilities.
“The successful launch of Sentinel-4 on board MTG-S1 is further proof of the innovation and successful collaboration within the European space sector,” stated Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus. He emphasized that the data from Sentinel-4 will contribute significantly to the Copernicus programme, aiding in air quality monitoring across Europe.
Sentinel-4, developed in Germany for ESA, is a UV-VIS-NIR spectrometer designed to deliver high temporal resolution data on Earth’s atmospheric composition. It will measure elements such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulphur dioxide, formaldehyde, and aerosols. This information is vital for tracking air quality in Europe, predicting pollution events, and understanding atmospheric changes over time.
The integration of Sentinel-4 onto the MTG weather satellite allows for simultaneous observation of weather phenomena and atmospheric chemical composition. This combined data acquisition will improve weather forecasts and enhance understanding of climate-weather interactions.
Positioned 36,000 kilometres above Earth in geostationary orbit, Sentinel-4 will provide hourly data over Europe and North Africa. The data will be freely available through the Copernicus programme to various users including scientists and policymakers.
The launch represents a crucial step toward achieving Copernicus programme objectives: providing accurate Earth observation data to tackle environmental challenges and mitigate natural disasters’ impacts. A second Sentinel-4 instrument is being integrated for future deployment aboard MTG-S2 in the 2030s.
Both spacecraft and instrument operations are managed by EUMETSAT. The design of Sentinel-4 builds upon experience from previous ESA instruments like SCIAMACHY and TROPOMI, also built by Airbus.
